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Four sketches made by Mexican artist Diego Rivera in the 1930s for New York’s Rockefeller Center are being restored with a grant from Bank of America, the Diego Rivera-Anahuacalli Museum said.

The sketches, which are part of the holdings of the Diego Rivera-Anahuacalli Museum, were deteriorating due to the effects of humidity and the temperature in the gallery, the museum said in a statement.

The four pieces “reveal, on the one hand, the work of one of the best known Mexican artists in the world and, on the other, a key time in history and the socio-political environment of the 1930s,” the museum said.

The works being restored, all of which are on paper, are “El hombre en el cruce de caminos” (sketches a and b), “El agua, origen de la vida” and “El hombre tecnico.”

Restoration work began on Jan. 23 and is about 60 percent finished, with completion of the project expected on April 6.

Bank of America is paying for the works’ restoration via an art conservation program for Latin America.

“It is an honor to support the restoration of these four pieces which are part of the history of Diego Rivera, of Latin America and of the world,” Bank of America vice president for corporate social responsibility Marcella Lembert said.

About 70 percent of the grant provided by the bank will be used to restore the sketches and the rest of the mony will go toward a project at the Frida Kahlo Museum, Diego Rivera-Anahuacalli Museum director Hilda Trujillo said.

The Diego Rivera-Anahuacalli Museum has an important collection of 17 Rivera sketches, of which 10 have been restored in recent years, as well as sketchbooks and drawings.

Leaders of this northeastern town have given the green light to the establishment of a cannabis plantation to boost municipal revenues and create jobs in the context of Spain’s economic crisis.

The Rasquera city council voted in favor of leasing land to the Barcelona-based ABCDA group to plant marijuana, a project that will create 40 jobs and is projected to generate 1.33 million euros ($1.78 million) over the next two years.

The private consumption and cultivation of pot is legal in Spain, and although its use to alleviate the symptoms of different diseases - such as cancer - is very controversial, some patients with chronic pain resort to marijuana to mitigate their suffering.

After the vote on Tuesday evening, Rasquera Mayor Bernat Pallisa said that the project is supported by a majority of the townspeople, adding that he felt like a “pioneer on the European level.”

He also said he was “surprised” by the response to the project in Germany, Italy, Argentina and the United States, from where the city government has received requests for more information, and a company has gotten in contact with him expressing interest in establishing a cottage in the town to house cancer, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis patients.

He announced that next week an assembly will be held in Rasquera where scientists, attorneys and physicians will explain the aspects of the project to the local public.

However, those opposed to the measure say that it “brushes the limit of illicit activities,” and so they voted against the plantation and demanded “a binding referendum” on the matter.

Rasquera, a farming community governed by the leftist Catalan nationalist party ERC, has a population of about 900 and debt of 1.3 million euros.

The pot plantation project, which was suggested seven months ago by ABCDA, is seen by local authorities as an opportunity to revitalize the battered local economy.

According to the contract between Rasquera and ABCDA, the association will contribute 30,000 euros upon the signing of the contract, 6,000 euros more within the next month and 650,000 euros per year for two years to be able to use the land that will be allocated to it.

That will enable the municipality to retire its debt in two years.

Spain finished out 2011 with a deficit equal to 8.51 percent of gross domestic product and an unemployment rate of 23.49 percent, which translates to more than 5.2 million people out of work.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently made a number of people angry when he stated that aid agencies should be concentrating on the poorest countries in the world, not those like Peru, which he said actually has a median income of about $10,000 (adjusting for the price of goods), making it a median-income country.

While Gates was not necessarily incorrect, it did not stop politicians and columnists in Peru from attacking, saying that while Peru may be wealthier than at least half of the countries of the world it still needs help from aid agencies.

Gates made the comments during an interview with Spain’s El País, and stated that the aid agencies should really be looking to help the world’s poorest countries and not those of median income who already have the ability to pull themselves up and solve basic problems such as hunger.

While Peru has made great strides in recent years, there are many who say comments like Gates’ infer that Peru no longer needs assistance.

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.

The Star Princess ship had been turned away earlier this year by the Falklands government citing health concerns after the ship stopped in Argentina.

Argentina turning away the same ship seems to reflect the tension currently going on between the Latin American country and Britain over the Falklands Islands.

In August, a provincial law was passed that bars British vessels, as well as those partially owned by British companies, from entering the ports, and has the ships approached veterans of the brief 1982 war with Britain urged Gov. Fabiana Rios to enforce that law.

The decision to turn away the ships also negatively affected the local economy, as many business owners had chosen to work through the Argentine holiday in order to serve and accommodate the passengers of the cruises they thought would be stopping in Ushuaia.

The British foreign office has stated that they believe there was no justification for turning the ships away and “British diplomats in Argentina are urgently seeking to clarify the circumstances surrounding this incident.”

David Sandoval of Española, NM believes the face of Jesus, the son of God, in the discoloration of a tortilla he found on Ash Wednesday.

Sandoval says he was getting ready to eat one of his mother’s homemade tortillas on the holy day when he saw the face of the Lord on it. He showed the baked tortilla to his mother who easily saw it as well.

Wanting to share his amazement, Sandoval said he posted a photo of the tortilla on Facebook. While he looks for a better way to preserve the tortilla, Sandoval said he is keeping it in a box for now.

He told KOAT, ‘It became even more astonishing, with it being the first day of Lent,” Sandoval said. ‘I passed it to my mom and the same response came from her, ‘Oh my God.’ ‘

Though she has denied them for months, rumors that “Jersey Shore” star Snooki is pregnant are surfacing once more, this time claiming she’s three months along.

TMZ says a source has confirmed that pint-sized, self-proclaimed guidette Snookie is pregnant, but said she kept it to herself because she didn’t want to jinx it, as she believes in the superstition that it is unlucky to reveal to anyone that you are pregnant before the third month.

The father of the alleged baby is said to be her boyfriend, Jionni LaValle, who has been seen on the show.

Snooki and Jwoww are currently promoting their spin-off show for MTV, but despite the promotion she has remained silent on the matter, even keeping quite on Twitter. (At the time this was published, she had not posted since Feb. 26).

J.Lo, who rocketed to fame in the mid-1990s with the film “Selena,” posed for Testino’s camera dressed like a boxer with an aggressive look on her face, but showing once more that even at age 42 she continues to be one of world’s sexiest women.

The singer and actress also had her Latino roots on display once again.

“It really defines you and makes you who you are,” she told V. “When doing Q’Viva (the TV talent search she co-hosts with ex-husband Marc Anthony), it was kind of reinforcing that, showing how important it is to me and staying connected to that and showing my kids what that’s all about.”

According to reports, Cuban actress Aylin Mujica and Colombian actor Gabriel Valenzuela have separated due to cheating accusations among other differences that have caused a divide between the couple.

The couple met in 2009 on the set of “Ninos Ricos, Pobres Padres”, and immediately had a beautiful baby girl named Violeta. Soon after the couple unexpectedly married through the civil court on September 24, 2010.

Aylin, who is preparing for her new role in the soap opera “Corazon Valiente”, was seen to be living in her house alone. Gabriel is said to be living with a fellow actress, Paola Pedroza, who has a part in the soap opera “El Talisman”.

Gabriel reportedly cheated on Aylin and didn’t do his part in bringing money to the household.

At least six inmates and 10 guards were injured when police moved in to keep prisoners from rioting at the Centro de Rehabilitacion Numero Uno, the main penitentiary in Ecuador’s capital, a prison spokesman said.

The protest at the prison in west-central Quito started Wednesday afternoon just as visiting hours were ending, a prison spokesman told Efe.

Inmates made a number of demands, including calling for an end to overcrowding, and presented proposals for the Criminal Code reform being debated by the National Assembly.

Prisoners were planning to occupy sections of the penitentiary, including the central pavilion, and attempted to start a fire, police said.

Police and guards used water hoses to snuff out the protests and the fire, officers said.

“Six inmates and 10 police officers were injured” in the incident, an emergency services official told Efe.

One person was shot in the shoulder and the others all sustained minor injuries, the emergency services official said.

“The injured are all in stable condition” at different hospitals, the emergency services official said.

State oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico’s largest company, said it posted a net loss of $6.5 billion in 2011, a 103 percent increase over 2010.

Pemex said the loss was due in large part to a “significant” fluctuation in the exchange rate, which ended 2011 at nearly 14 pesos to the dollar, and higher tax payments.

“Our debt obligations and other financial instruments are mostly (denominated) in dollars” and exchange-rate fluctuations “are significantly reflected in those instruments,” the company’s chief financial officer, Ignacio Quesada, said in a press conference.

“We hope that during this year, as we’ve seen the exchange rate return (to around 12 pesos to the dollar), the bulk of that loss will disappear,” the CFO said, adding that Pemex is not bankrupt despite several years of losses.

The company, whose tax contributions fund roughly 30 percent of the federal budget, took in $111.4 billion in total revenue last year, up 21.6 percent compared to 2010.

That figure, a record high, was due among other reasons to higher oil and gas prices.

Pemex produced 2.55 million barrels of crude oil per day, down 1 percent from 2010, due in part to unfavorable climatic conditions.

The company’s gross profit came in at $55.6 billion, up 19.2 percent from 2010, while its earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization totaled $76.9 billion, 29.4 percent higher than the previous year.

The company invested $19.09 billion in 2011, or 93.3 percent of programmed investment, and said that it 2012 it plans to invest $21.5 billion.

Pemex said it had negative equity totaling $13.73 billion on Dec. 31, 2011, or 72.6 percent more than at the end of 2010.

The company’s output of natural gas and petrochemicals fell 6.1 percent and 8.8 percent, respectively, and its crude export volume was down 1.7 percent.

The number of Pemex wells in operation climbed by 836 in 2011 due to increased well connection and the completion and reopening of others.

Mexico’s oil output totaled almost 3.4 million barrels per day in 2004, but has since has fallen due to a sharp decline in production at offshore Cantarell, formerly Mexico’s most productive field, and a lack of investment.

The government, however, said last year that Pemex had succeeded in halting a steady annual decline in its reserves dating back to 1979.

A recent oil sector overhaul in Mexico gave the oil monopoly more freedom to undertake projects with private firms, which are to be hired under incentive-based service contracts.

Experts say the domestic energy industry’s future is in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

Pemex, however, lacks the proprietary technology to drill in deepwater areas, a problem blamed by many analysts on the company’s highly regulated operations and the fact that it accounts for nearly a third of the Treasury’s revenues, leaving little money to invest in new technologies. EFE

During a four-day targeted enforcement operation in Connecticut and Massachusetts that ended Monday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers arrested 44 convicted criminal aliens. An additional individual was arrested who had two outstanding arrest warrants in New York and Texas.

Of the 45 arrested, 40 were arrested in Connecticut and five were arrested in Massachusetts.

Operation Threats Against the Community commenced Feb. 24. Forty-four of the individuals taken into custody had prior criminal convictions, including 18 aliens who had multiple criminal convictions. Additionally, 24 of those arrested had felony convictions. Many of these criminal aliens had prior convictions for serious or violent crimes, such as indecent assault and battery of a child, sexual assault, possessing and selling dangerous drugs, drunken driving and larceny charges.

Of those arrested, there were 38 men and seven women who are nationals of the following countries: one from Bosnia, two from Brazil, one from Canada, one from Colombia, five from the Dominican Republic, one from El Salvador, one from England, one from Guatemala, one from Guyana, one from Haiti, one from Honduras, 17 from Jamaica, two from Mexico, one from Montserrat, two from Peru, one from the Philippines, three from Poland, one from Portugal, one from Russia and one from Tanzania. They range in ages from 21 to 57.

Forty-four of the 45 individuals were arrested administratively for being in violation of immigration law, and all are being held in ERO custody pending immigration removal proceedings.

Univision has recently launched a new channel dedicated to running soap operas 24 hours a day. The channel, called “Univision tlnovelas”, will run classic and popular telenovelas such as “Rosa Salvaje” and “Esmeralda”.

Besides this, the channel will also offer exclusive interviews with the stars, interesting facts about the stars and producers, and behind the scenes content.

“Tlnovelas” will be available through the cable service DishLATINO channel 837.